So, when we talk about anime, the term ‘Big 3 anime’ often comes into the discussion. Rather than being a sales or quality or industry thing, the “Big 3” is a cultural phenomenon. It refers to the three shonen series that completely dominated the spotlight and discussion, particularly during the early 2000s: One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. However, despite its legendary status, Dragon Ball Z is notably absent from this grouping.
This may be surprising considering that Dragon Ball is among the most iconic anime franchises in history, inspiring countless series and shaping the shonen genre as we know it today. So why is Dragon Ball Z not considered part of the Big 3? Below are four key reasons why it does not fit into the Big 3 classification.
1. Timing and publication era of Dragon Ball Z
One big reason why Dragon Ball Z is not in the Big 3 is when it was released. The initial Dragon Ball manga by Akira Toriyama started in 1984 and concluded in 1995. On the other hand, the manga for the Big 3: One Piece (1997), Naruto (1999), and Bleach (2001), all started much later.
Thus, when the Big 3 anime began making waves, Dragon Ball Z had already completed its run and had a tremendous influence on the industry. In Japan, Dragon Ball was already an established classic when the Big 3 started serialization.
Meanwhile, in North America, the anime adaptation of Dragon Ball Z aired from 1996 to 2003, so it finished before the Big 3 even hit the mainstream TV scene. By the mid-2000s, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach were totally ruling the anime fandom, and Dragon Ball Z was considered an older show.
2. Cultural impact and fandom perception
While Dragon Ball Z had a massive impact on anime worldwide, it was not counted as part of the Big 3 because it peaked earlier. ‘Big 3’ was a term mainly to refer to anime that were all at their peak popularity at the same time, ruling the anime scene with their weekly serialization and long-running adaptation. Dragon Ball Z, even though it was a shonen giant, peaked earlier when the Big 3 era came around.
Also, the manner in which Dragon Ball Z was released in North America further contributed to it being more divergent from the Big 3. In contrast to One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, which were promoted aggressively through Shonen Jump and broadcast on a regular weekly schedule, Dragon Ball Z was released in segments, with irregular scheduling and repeated episodes.
This impacted the manner in which the fans viewed the series compared to subsequent anime with a more regular release schedule.
3. How anime was consumed during each era
So, the Big 3 emerged when anime was just becoming really popular online with streaming and all those licensing agreements. This allowed them to completely dominate the forums’ chats, social media, and all those anime fan communities.
By contrast, Dragon Ball Z emerged when anime was still largely associated with local TV stations. Fans didn’t have a lot of legal means of watching anime, so Dragon Ball Z had to resort to old-fashioned broadcasting to reach the audience.
Also, when Viz Media brought the Dragon Ball manga to North America, they weren’t sold as part of the Shonen Jump magazine series. Instead, they were sold as their own monthly comic, which actually made them separate from the Big 3 because they were all tied to the Shonen Jump franchise.
The fact that the Big 3 were seen together so often, both in magazines and on TV, gave this perception that they belonged to the same moment in anime history, something that Dragon Ball Z never really had with them.
4. The legacy factor: Standing in a league of its own
You see, one of the major reasons that Dragon Ball Z isn’t necessarily a part of the Big 3 is quite simply that it’s on a completely different level. While One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach basically defined a specific time period of shonen anime, Dragon Ball literally set the foundation for the entire shonen genre.
It was the blueprint that later series followed, inspiring countless tropes, battle styles, and character archetypes that became staples of the genre. Even now, Dragon Ball is an absolute giant. Dragon Ball Super and most recently, Dragon Ball Daima, have added new life to the franchise with new arcs.
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Today, the concept of a ‘Big 3’ continues to evolve. Some fans suggest that modern anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Hell’s Paradise form a ‘Dark Shonen Trio’ that reflects contemporary trends.
But, with all the changes, Dragon Ball remains timeless. It does not need to be part of any ‘Big 3’ because its influence transcends trends, standing as one of the greatest anime franchises of all time.
Dragon Ball Z is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
